I
N A SPRAWLING CLUTCH OF BUILDINGS, WHITE-COATED SCIENTISTS SCURRY FROM LAB TO LAB, PEER THROUGH MICROSCOPES AND CONSULT WITH THEIR COLLEAGUES. It is the age of COVID-19,
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GIRLS GONE
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THE MESSENGER
and the work here has taken on added urgency. Variants are creeping across the country, and a rattled nation is divided over what to do about it. Lives are very much at stake. Were this a movie, the facility might be embedded at the Pentagon or hidden in a deep underground bunker at an undisclosed location. But it’s not. The facility, the FDA’s National Center for Toxicological Research (NCTR), sits in the bright sunlight of Jefferson County, at a speck on the map called Jefferson, Arkansas, north of Pine Bluff. And it’s here that two Mount Girls, Drs. Ellen Jones ’98 and Kelly Jones Mercer ’93, do their part to save the world through science. “COVID-19 has been a game-changer,” Jones said. “As expected, it is a huge concern for us at the FDA/NCTR. Personally, it has been exciting to be a part of the FDA working on COVID-19, although it has been equally frustrating and challenging. I think we all can attest to feeling impatient with the speed of research at times like these. “However, I also believe we have been fortunate with the progress at this point, and I am inspired daily by the continued work and commitment of the scientists involved.” “During this pandemic, the FDA has been actively investigating COVID-19 to provide the U.S. with safe and effective treatments and mitigation strategies,” echoed Mercer. “I am proud of and inspired by my colleagues across the FDA and in academia who have achieved so much for the good of the people.” Both scientists were turned on to their future careers early. Jones’ father was a physician, while Mercer’s interest was piqued by an Algebra II class — ironically, a subject she didn’t particularly like — while attending Mount St. Mary. “I was not particularly fond of mathematics, but I did enjoy solving algebraic equations, and this love of solving problems logically started me down the path of science,” she said. “Later, following my sophomore year in college, I participated in a summer internship in research at UAMS, which solidified my love for benchwork. I really enjoyed planning and
